community in Maryland
Honey bee forage in Ringgold, Maryland
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Maryland. Against other Maryland sites it stands out most in summer (88th percentile) and lowest in spring (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); apples (nearest 1.2 mi NE).
When is the honey flow in Ringgold?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ringgold, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on Apr 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Corn: about 545 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 70 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Apples: about 84 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi E, blooms early Apr – late Apr
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Ringgold
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.37 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.44 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Ringgold ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 55th | 89th | 30th |
| Maryland | 81st | 13th | 88th | 23rd |
| Ridge and Valley | 99th | 5th | 99th | 22nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Ringgold: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Greensburg 2 mi · Edgemont 3 mi · Leitersburg 3 mi · Fort Ritchie 3 mi · Smithsburg 4 mi · Highfield-Cascade 4 mi
All towns in Maryland · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Ringgold (39.7092, -77.5689); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.